ACHINTRAID, TOWARDS SKYE – WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

An old painting – one sold many years ago. My output has slowed a bit of late as I’ve had storm damage, so have been busy machining wood to repair my greenhouse. Then there are a few fences to repair and the shelter over the door flew off into the blue yonder – not to mention older repairs awaiting their turn.

So, I’ve got a few other things to occupy myself with, though I’m still painting and drawing – just slower. For today’s post I trawled the archives and came up with this. About twenty years ago I went on a painting holiday with Alvaro Castagnet. I was particularly intrigued with what he could do in the Scottish Highlands as I own books of his paintings focussing on sunny climes from Venice, Southern France and Australia amongst others. In the end I shouldnt have worried as I was very impressed with what he concocted from this far-flung Scottish hamlet and its surrounding countryside.

This was the view from the village out over Loch Kishorn towards the sea. Skye is just a shadowy mark in the distance. Not in the Castagnet style, but I was proud of this at the time and put it in a local exhibition where it sold.

Other landscapes and seascapes are available for sale on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com

THE FOOTPATH FROM CRAIL TO ANSTRUTHER – PASTEL PAINTING

Being on holiday at the moment I dont have much to show, so here’s an old painting I havent posted before. I was on a painting holiday in Scotland years ago. It was in the fishing port of Crail. Crail is in the Kingdom of Fife, just south of St Andrews.

One evening, after a days painting, I took a walk along the coastal path from the old fishing port of Crail to Anstruther, another small fishing port. The low golden sun threw long shadows across the grassland and tinted everything in an orange glow.

Later I did this pastel painting of the walk and I eventually gave it to a friend. In fact I am shortly going to visit him at the end of a walking holiday in Portugal, planned for the end of September. He lives not far from Faro. Well. that is if the borders aren’t shut down again.

Other landscapes are available for sale on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com

THE BEACH AT FRASERBURGH – WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

This is the  beach at Fraserburgh which is east of Inverness in Scotland. Never been there myself. The nearest I’ve got  was Cawdor Castle, the reputed site of  the Macbeth saga. I was asked to paint this after my recent exhibition at the Martin Mere bird sanctuary. It was the first time I’ve submitted a body of work on one subject ( Landscapes from the Mersey to the Ribble). Having just had a few unsuccessful shows I was pretty negative about it, except that I thought that it would be a good exercise to muster around 35 paintings and put it on. With the commission they were taking along with the VAT they took off I had to put prices up so that added to my despondency.  In the end I sold a couple and got this commission, so all is not bad with the world.

Below are a few shots of the exhibition. Regulars might even recognise some of the paintings I’ve posted.